Mark Stapleton

In the late 1970’s when I was in high school, I was working for a local judge who owned several buildings in East Tennessee. I was painting those buildings and doing general maintenance work on the inside of these buildings. I would often have to go to his courtroom to talk to him about the work I was doing. While sitting in the courtroom I would see lawyers from all across Tennessee trying their cases, arguing motions, and representing their clients. I knew then, while in high school in the 1970’s, this is what I wanted to do and I have been in the courtroom since then. That experience in the late 1970’s triggered a passion in me that still exists today as strong as it ever was.

In my early career I represented insurance companies for just a few years and knew that was not what I wanted to do. I knew without a doubt I wanted to represent people. I have been representing people since 1991.

I have had the honor of representing families who have lost their husbands and fathers to tragic accidents, families who have lost their wives and mothers to tragic accidents, and families who have lost their children to tragic accidents. There is nothing I enjoy more than standing beside of my clients taking on insurance companies and big business.

During my practice of over 32 years, I’ve had the privilege and honor of securing millions of dollars for my clients. I was born in Hawkins County, Tennessee and currently have the highest personal injury jury verdict ever awarded, in excess of seven-figures, in Hawkins County, Tennessee. During my practice, I have had the privilege of trying personal injury jury trials in 11 different counties across upper East Tennessee.

Being a native of East Tennessee I have developed a criminal practice as well representing criminal clients charged with murder all the way down to DUI and assault cases. I am one of a small handful of lawyers across the state of Tennessee that has ever had a jury return a “not guilty” verdict against a client who was charged with murder. I have had “not guilty” jury verdicts in rape cases, assault cases, drug cases, and DUI cases as well. There is a great sense of accomplishment that I enjoy with my client when we get the “not guilty” jury verdict at the end of all of the work that we put into these cases.

Over my 30+ year career I’ve had the privilege of representing other lawyers in their own personal injury cases. In addition, I’ve represented 4 doctors, 3 chiropractors, 3 dentists, 2 pharmacists, and several nurses in varying aspects of litigation including breach of contract and as defense counsel for their respective disciplinary boards.

My son is now an attorney and I was more excited when he graduated from law school and was sworn in to the Tennessee Bar than I was when I graduated and got sworn in. I’m a Christian and a Methodist and have served on the rotating schedule teaching Sunday school in my Sunday school class and in addition, I have served two different terms as a trustee for the First United Methodist Church in Morristown.

I will be welcoming my first grandchild, a boy, into this world in mid to late September of 2021. There is a long list of things I cannot wait to do with my grandson. My hobbies including hunting and fishing with my friends and son in the Dakotas, through Arkansas, to the South Carolina coast. In the winter my family and I enjoy snow skiing and have had the chance to experience the thrill of snow skiing and the beauty of the mountains from Montana down all across the state of Colorado and into Utah. The thrill of watching my son snow ski without any assistance when he was 5 years old sticks with me today. I’m eagerly awaiting the opportunity of skiing with my grandson in a few years and I hope to be there for his first ski experience. My family and I also enjoy Cherokee Lake and all it has to offer including wake boarding and wake surfing along with other water sports.

In February 2023 Mark Stapleton represented a client who was charged with voluntary manslaughter. Following a two-day jury trial, the jury returned a not guilty verdict. This is the second not guilty verdict in a murder case that Mark has received during his career.